New Ninco Ascari set

Thanks to MRC/Ninco for the news!

Diecast Mustang review

Frank has been busy again, another diecast review to show. This time a 1967 Mustang from Motor Mint!

Check out the Motor Mint site at this link...

diecasthobbies

More Ninco News for September!

10312-Trackmap Plus Software-$13.98 MSRP
40207-N-Digital Double Lane Change Track Piece-$54.98 MSRP

Carrera E200 "E500" Motor Tested

Here is a brand new Carrera E200 motor, factory fresh, as shipped to Wings'n'Wheels Hobbies in Clinton, CT, USA. But, it is clearly printed "E500" on the motor. Is this a new type of motor?

A quick test at 12.00 volts on the tachometer block shows an average of 19,320 RPM, after a 5 minute run up to operating temperature. The tach shines a red light on the spinning black disc, and is actually seeing, and counting, how many times a small piece of reflective tape passes through the light beam.

Since many E200's have been measured at 18k to 21k RPM on test, it looks like this is a run of the mill E200, in spite of the "E500" printed on the case. Must be a factory mis-print, not a new type of motor.

SCX Nascar review...Harvick Pennzoil

When there is a new release of a new livery of a slot car, you might wonder to yourself, "well is it really worth it to buy this one too?" Well in the case of the new Kevin Harvick Pennzoil Nascar you maybe want to check out this car at your local hobby shop.

This livery of the car is strikingly done by SCX. Yellow is always a color that raises a red flag with some slotters...it's tough to get that color opaque, well SCX have given us a nice thick coat of yellow paint over a yellow body... no issues here, it's a nice solid yellow.


The tail detail on this body is just as nicely done as the previous models. There are a few spots in the paint on this car, but it's more evident frankly in this photo than when you look at the car with your eye.
One issue with this car is that the wheels still stick outside the body a bit more than they should. It would be great to see SCX make a bit of an adjustment to the axle length here.
I wasn't expecting a change on the chassis treatment but here you have it. A nice flat black look to the chassis! I'm not sure if the material is different than the previous Nascars (and other recent SCX releases for that matter). But the flat black appearance of the chassis I think has a more pleasing look than a glossy paint job. After all real cars have dirty undersides that are seldom shiney.
So is the difference in this car only cosmetic? An emphatic NO! There is more motor pod movement than ANY previous SCX car I've seen...with only the exception of the Pro Audi! The pod has plenty of movement right out of the box. A nice rocking motion allows the pod to move easily. This is a very nice suprise indeed!

I did notice that the chassis fits quite tightly inside the body, it would be good to cut or sand around the edges of the chassis to make free up the stress on the body.
Here we see the RX-42B motor which will rev up to about 20k rpm according to the Slot Car News motor list.

How does this car perform? All testing was done on the my Carrera test track (photo inset here for reference).

I did 50 laps with the car in stock form. I didn't do anything other than put a drop of oil on the bushings at the corners and a drop on each end of the motor.

I got a fastest lap time of 3.0 with about 3.1 being the average.

Then I gave the magnet holder 2 full turns out to drop the magnet down lower to the track. I sanded the stock tires to make sure they had some scuffed rubber to use.

I now had a fastest lap time of 2.6 seconds! Which for reference is what the Scalextric Trans Am Jaguar will do with the stock magnet and Sloter tires in place. The Harvick car is certainly no slouch around the track!

A recommended buy...

Thanks to Distributoys for the car for review!

DaveK
Publisher, Slot Car News

Nascarnextel cupchevroletHarvickmotorsports

1/32 diecast review-Motor Mint trash truck

Frank has another review of a new Motor Mint 1/32 die cast...a Freightliner trash truck!

Check out the Motor Mint site at this link...

Ferrari unsatisfied with FIA decision

f1ferrariMcLaren

Canadian Proxy Race...details and links

CPR HQ, Toronto, Ontario

DrVanski Racing has concluded talks with some of Canada's premier slot racing facilities and is pleased to announce the official 2008 Canadian Proxy Race (CPR) schedule.

* January - Ferrari 1950's The Autodrome - Oakville, Ontario
* February - Super Rat's The 'Ring - Mississauga, Ontario
* March - Cgingras' Circuit du Grand Rocher II - Quebec City, Quebec
* April - TR3's Bent Birch Raceway - Montreal, Quebec
* May - Slotbutton's Suzuka West - Victoria, British Columbia
* June - Oldslotracer's Targa Florio - Vancouver, British Columbia
* July - Double Naught's Idle Time Raceway - Edmonton, Alberta
* August - Giddyup's Tanglewood - Calgary, Alberta
* September - DrVanski's AVUS - Toronto, Ontario

With three seperate classes racing at nine different venues across Canada, the CPR has the potential to offer up some proxy slot racing action virtually every other weekend in 2008 from January until September. For detailed track information, be sure to download the official CPR 2008 Track Details here. Don't forget to browse the CPR 2008 track gallery here.

DrVanski Racing would like to thank the track hosts for opening their raceways and assembling their best drivers for what should be one of the most exciting proxy races of the 2008 season. We would also like to thank Slot Car News for sponsoring the CPR GTU class and providing the CPR with their comprehensive motor list for reference. A hearty round of thanks as well to the builders who so quickly swelled the ranks of pre-registered entries.

Look for an announcement soon regarding the official entry procedure, and the adjudication panel for the CPR Concours d'Elegance which may include a surprise celebrity judge.

Spirit Silhouette Peugeot Esso-review

The Spirit Silhouette Peugeot Elis/Esso car is a new livery and the second in a series of releases of this body. The fenders are fat, the stance low...and the livery really shows off the body lines.
It strikes me that this would be a super proxy racing car. The light weight body, perfect fit of the chassis on top of the body...
Everything fits perfectly on this car, the wheels especially stand out as being true and they spin easily on the axles.
The same front axle adjustment is present as it is on all recent Spirit releases. The motor pod design is carried over to this car too from the previous Silhouette release. The chassis has temendous flex, which is fine, but the pod also has a great deal of flex. And since this pod does not have those holes in the gear end for screws, you can't hold the motor down very well. All that torque twist the pod and creates the "high torque hop" that many companies cars have. The Spirit motor especially has this problem because of the bucket loads of power it has.
The gears on this car, as with the other recent Spirit Peugeot releases, meshes very, very well. Those angle winder gears are darn thin, but also, darn smooth. There is very little gear noise. Along with the bucket loads of torque is also tons of braking ability.

Testing notes from the Bay Bridge Carrera test track:
1. Fastest lap time was 3.2 seconds with a 3.3 average over 100 laps of testing.
2. I sanded the tires a bit just to make sure they were round and to get a bit of fresh rubber contacting the track. The tires don't really sand that well, not as well as the BMW tires. They are round so they've got that in their favor.
3. There's very little grip with the tires.
4. The magnet feels very light and doesn't hold the car very well in the corners.
5. Very easy to spin the tires whenever you want. A bit too much throttle and the car will easy spin out.

With some replacement tires I'd expect this car to be quite fast. It's got a lot of things going for it, but on my track, the tires aren't one of them.

For comparison times I did a number of laps with the Scalex Trans Am that I reviewed a few months ago (thanks again to Fantasy World Hobbies for that) and I got a fastest lap time of 2.6 seconds! But in fairness the tires are the super sticky Sloter tires, and the magnet on the Jaguar Trans Am is super strong.


Spirit has a good, solid GT type car on their hands here. The finish on the car is wonderful, the yellow is solid and the printing is good. Issues with tire stick aside this is a fast, well build car that has got lots of potential.

A recommended buy...

DaveK
Slot Car News

McLaren cleared in spy case...

...and there was much rejoicing!
Photo and news used from McLaren.com, no reuse
Following an appearance by McLaren today at the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris, a unanimous decision has been taken by the FIA which in McLaren’s opinion is very balanced and fair. McLaren accepts the that the FIA World Motor Sport Council had no alternative other than to find that there was a purely technical breach by reason of the possession of certain information by one individual at his home, without McLaren’s knowledge or authority. McLaren is delighted that the World Motor Sport Council determined that this information was not used and accordingly imposed no sanction whatsoever on the team. McLaren looks forward to continuing its fight in what is the most exciting Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championship in many years.

RON DENNIS, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, McLAREN GROUP: “There is no doubt that the past 24 days have been challenging and the tremendous support we have received from our sponsor partners and the public has been much appreciated. Moving forward McLaren wants to re-affirm our long-standing commitment to honesty and integrity and re-state that we believe we have acted correctly throughout. Now, we have Formula 1 World Championships to win. As a result we intend to move on, so as to maintain the focus and commitment required to do exactly that.”

FERNANDO ALONSO: “Having only been part of McLaren for a few months I know how important today’s decision will be for everybody. I am looking forward to an exciting second half of the season and to continue our battle for both World Championships.”

LEWIS HAMILTON: “Whilst it’s only my first season in Formula 1 with the team, I already know and appreciate the commitment and dedication of the people there. As a result I am pleased with today’s decision and can’t wait for the rest of the season.”

And this from AFP....

f1mclarenferrari

September Ninco News

Coming soon...Spirit Elis Peugeot

A review of the Spirit Esso/Elis Peugeot will be finished soon.

McLaren Spy case continues in Paris

The McLaren/Ferrari spy case really has made things interesting this year... the latest chapter in the story below...

f1McLarenferrari

Motor Mint diecast review

Frank, the new SCNews diecast editor, has posted his first review of the new Motor Mint Hickam Field truck/jeep. Read the review at the link above.

Visit the Motor Mint site to see the huge selection of die casts they have. Tons in 1/32 BTW!

Fly 935 delay

I've heard that it's possible the Fly 935 will be delayed until September.... I can wait. I'm sure I'm not the only one that has high expectations for Fly for this slot car.

DK

Jerez testing...Toyota's day on track

Tuesday July 24, 2007

Location: Circuito Permanente de Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain

Toyota Driver: Franck Montagny

Track Length: 4.423km


NOW WE'RE COOKING

After weeks of work in the wet conditions of Northern Europe, the Panasonic Toyota Racing team has finally made a welcome return to sunnier climes for this week’s test. The Jerez circuit in the southern Spanish region of Andalucia is basking in its usual midsummer heat and most teams have grabbed the chance for a week of uninterrupted running. Track temperatures reached the high fifties today as the sun baked the asphalt. Toyota’s third driver Franck Montagny was driving the TF107, putting in a full day’s work on the car and concentrating on brakes, systems and starts. Ralf Schumacher will be at the wheel tomorrow as the test continues.

Franck Montagny – Chassis TF107/01

Best lap time: 1m 21.136s

Position: 2nd

Total laps: 73

Total distance: 322.9km

“Apart from shakedowns and straight line tests this is the first time that I have driven this car for over two months. But I’ve trained hard in the meantime so it didn’t feel any different to usual, even despite the extreme heat today, so that is good. We spent much of the day running without traction control in preparation for 2008. That meant the car was sliding a lot but we put in some useful laps and found a good direction to take. This week we are also working on improving our start procedure along with brakes and other systems. So it was a good day and we’re getting there. We’ve already changed the car a lot and I’m happy with it and confident that progress can continue.”

Gerd Pfeiffer, Test Team Manager

“Following the weather disruptions we have faced at recent tests at Silverstone and Spa it is a relief to have a week where we can expect hot, sunny conditions throughout. Today Franck had a range of items to test in his programme. One of the main areas we worked on was brake testing but he also did some work on starts and other systems along with some runs without traction control. It was a productive day and we made it through our planned programme without problems. Ralf will take over the driving duties for tomorrow.”

f1formula onef1 news

SCX Escort-newsletter

New Porsche GT2 motor...real motor!

Not slot related but Porsche news so that's close enough! And a new Porsche motor is always reason to celebrate.

McLaren M23 spares sheet

I'm sorry, I forgot to post the spares sheet when I updated last night. Here it is.

Scalextric Gilles Villeneuve F1

McLarenf1

McLaren wins in Germany

Images used with permission of McLaren.com

...more updates as photos become available.

McLarenf1grand prix

Spirit BMW RAC Rally-review

The RAC Rally BMW 2002 is the second release of this body this year. And this time around Spirit has given slotters a classic and popular livery to buy.

There haven’t been any changes from the first release to this release. The wheels are different, but internally there’s nothing new to surprise a buyer. If you liked the Lauda car this one will probably be high on your list to purchase. This time around there are some very nicely done lights riding on the front bumper of this car.

Actually inside there is one change, much shorter wires from the motor to the guide. The wires aren’t a supple as the other wires used, but they are much more appropriately sized. As we continue to check out the chassis inside there’s the same long can, high torque motor featured in all Spirit cars recently. The power comes on quickly with this motor and the car streaks down the track at a faster clip than you’d expect (or maybe like to see) with a very, very small car. Again with this release from Spirit there are holes in the back of the pod, on either side of the gear, which would be perfect to hold this powerful motor in place. But there are no screws there.

Testing notes on my “Bay Bridge” Carrera plastic test track:
100 laps with pod screws backed off a bit, but no clearance cutting around the pod.
Tires profiled so they have a bit more clearance inside the fenders.
I got a hard fought 3.9 fastest time, with times around 4.0-4.1 average time.

100 laps with pod screws still loose but now I did a lot of clearance work around the chassis and the pod. The pod can now fit better inside the chassis after I sanded around all the edges. Also I sanded the bottoms of the pod pegs flat (the small posts that the screws for the pod fit into). Now the pod can sit flatly on the chassis posts and has much more play inside the chassis.
The lap times dropped to an average of 3.9-4.0, which might not seem like much but the car feels much easier to drive now and I got a fastest time of 3.8.
All testing was done with the stock bar magnet in its stock position ahead of the motor.

On the East New York Raceway (a wood track with 61’ lap length) the BMW achieved only a 6.3 time. A time which, given the large powerful engine, isn’t spectacular. The same issue that the first Spirit BMW is present in this car as well. The wheels wobble more than I’d like, also the molding of the tires adds to the problem. I can’t help lamenting that this car could really benefit from some tiny little set screw metal wheels, but then I’m always a “grass is greener” type of guy.

I think this slot car, despite the wheel problem, is a desirable car. The body detail wonderful, the chassis offers something for both the out of the box driver and the slotter that like to modify a car to their taste. A motor pod is a rarity in a slot car this size...that’s something to take advantage of if someone’s in the market for a under-2-litre class car...or nearly U-2 car it is a 2002 after all...

Dave Kennedy
Slot Car News

McLaren's Hamilton is motivated to race after crash

Official word on Hamilton's accident:

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes are very happy to confirm that Lewis Hamilton is completely uninjured following his accident during today’s qualifying at the Nürburgring.

Following a thorough examination at the on-track medical centre, he was flown to the Koblenz Bundeswehr Hospital where he underwent a full pre-cautionary CT scan which proved to be entirely normal.

Lewis has no bruises and is highly motivated to race tomorrow.

As is normal, a final sign-off by the FIA Medical Delegate Gary Hartstein will take place tomorrow morning which the team believes will be positive.

If cleared to race, he will start from 10th position with the same fuel load as he started qualifying with.

News and photo used with permission from McLaren.com.


And the AFP story as well:

McLarenLewis Hamiltonf1f1 news

New Scalextric Hamilton F1!!!!!!

McLaren and Ferrari ready to do battle

Formula 1f1grand prixMcLarenferrari

Spirit 936 and new BMW promo ads

Avant Slot Audi R10-review

The Avant Slot Audi R10 is an important model of a notable real racing car... let's get down to business.

This model is superb. The body contours, painting, and printing are on a par with the best slot cars...regardless of price. To date this is the best representation of the real Audi, and with a very crowded field of releases of this car, I feel confident that there probably won't be a more pleasing, more well detailed Audi R10 released this year.

This is just a guess but I think well see the chassis used on another body because it has the look of a universal chassis and really looks like a chassis that Avant Slot will be able to use on most any of this genre of racer. The body alone weighs 16g, the chassis weighs 66g for a total of 82 grams.

Motor wires need to be tucked to each side of the front of the motor so that the wires don't hit the underside of the interior.

Avant Slot gets high marks from me for putting the small screws in the car that hold the motor in the pod!

With a few parade laps to get the initial feel of the car we notice that the stock tires aren't flat on the wheels. They run on the center of the tire and on a ridge along the edge of the tire. First we'll use the stock tires then we will go to Slot It S2's, which fit similarly to the stock tires.

Testing starts on the East New York Raceway, routed wood track.


Testing notes are:
Loose body.
Front screw tight rear screw loose.
The car does sound smooth but does have some obvious gear noise.
With stock tires a we got a 5.523 lap.

We tried to true the tires but one of the push on plastic wheels was spinning freely on the axle. There is no knurling on the polished, smooth axles. For the purposes of testing we tried replace the wheels with SCX Pro wheels from the rear of the R8 Pro Audi. But those wheels and the Slot It tires were too large to be used on the Avant Slot car because the holes for the wheels would have made the fit a bit too tight. And the hub was too wide to allow the wheels to fit under the body. So we went back to the drawing board and used Permatex Threadlocker on the stock plastic wheels to glue them onto the axles.


Testing resumes with these notes:
It's quickly apparent that the car needs lots of tuning.
Not nearly as smooth as we think it should be.
Pod motion is too sticky.
The pod clearances feel too tight as it is in stock form..
Wheels now glued on the car dropped to 5.091 fastest lap, with consistant 5.15's.

We looked at the spring set up of the pod and the springs. There are two long leaf springs sandwiched together on each side of the pod. So you can set the spring tension by not only adjusting the set screws further forward or aft but also the amount of tension but using both or one of the springs. It's amazing the amount of adjustment on this car, the more you look the more you find.
Now with one spring engaged on each side we go back to testing. Body screws tightened up on the rear so the springs now doing the body roll.

Testing had to stop because the crown gear split off the hub....

We only got to do about 40 timed laps after we adjusted the chassis. Before chassis adjustment started we got maybe another 40 laps in. There seems to be a lot of potential in the car, but for all the work on the chassis the plastic wheels and gear made the testing difficult.

The fastest lap we got was with very minimal tuning done to the car. With the problems fixed and further tuning we'd expect this car would be in the good company with Spirit and Slot It type cars.

Avant Slot is a new company and is newly distributed by Kimrey Enterprises here in the US market. Normally I don't note the distribution of slot cars in the body of the review but Cal's service is exceptional and attention to concerns but customers (both retailers and hobbiest buyers, and reviewers BTW as well).

As Honda struggles they're sticking with Rubens and Jenson

Formula 1f1Honda

New Racer Ferrari 330P-LeMans '64

Hot off the press...a new Racer livery to show.



Slot CarFerrarihobbies

SCX Mitsubishi Montero-newsletter

Rumor control from Ninco Bob...

I received the following text today from Ninco Bob...

"Gentlemen, Gentlemen, Gentlemen...... the rumors and misconceptions are already beginning to fly........
The winners of the regionals will have a guaranteed reservation for the National, if they choose to race in the National (.... not everyone did last year)
The National is open to anyone! These are not races solely for people who hang out on SCI, or HRW or any of the other online forums. There could be guys or ladies out there who don't hang out online who can outdrive everyone! Remember, there can only be a limited number of entrants at the National (number not decided at this time).
Here's some preliminary items to think about:

1. Probably about 8 or 9 regional race locations around the country..... (Canadians can enter the regionals and National race).
2. Although dates/places are not finalized, the rules will be pretty much the same as last year.... , individual races, with the winners of the regionals having a guaranteed spot in the National Race to determine who goes to the World cup in Germany....
3. Podium finishers to get trophies & prizes.
4. Cars will be the 50428 Mosler Gulf, 50442 Daytona and Mosler Club Car, 50459 Toyota Supra Castrol, both new Ascari's (50458 & 50444) (and Ascari Club Car if available), both Ferrari 360 Kits (50408/9) Ferrari F-50 Kit (50415) and the Porsche 997's (50445/6 not yet released).
5. Only NINCO parts made for that car are allowed, (either stock or ProRace).....
6. Cars will race with No magnet, NC-6 motor, Shore A25 rear tires.
7. Painting the outside of the body is allowed
8. The body & chassis must be as issued by NINCO; no lightening or trimming or adding weight
9. The motor cannot be "glued" in a manner that adds strength or minimizes flex of the chassis... (i.e. running a bead of hot glue down the sides of the motor can that effectively makes the motor a part of the chassis)
10. All wings, mirrors, windows etc., must be in place at the race start.
11. Tires may be profiled but be recognizable as original NINCO tires.
12. No chemicals of any kind can be used on the tires.
13. Racers can only work on their cars, (i.e.) clean braids, change tires during "green" periods.
14. Endurance race lengths to be determined by the store/track owner, Shore A25 rear tires/NC-6 motors must be purchased/handed out to drivers by store owner,
15. Entry fees to be determined by store owner.
16. The National Race to determine who goes to Germany will be at the (just opened) JD Model Raceways, Glen Bernie, Maryland (date to be announced).
17. The World Cup is in Stuttgart, Germany, November 17/18.
18. IMPORTANT: Financial support by MRC & JD Model Raceways for the TEAM USA MEMBERS' transportation to Germany & accommodation in Germany has not yet been determined!!
19. A word to the wise: The passport offices are swamped... if you even have a remote interest in possibly racing at the National to be able to go to Germany, don't wait to get a passport... do it now!!
20. Have a nice day."

_______________

Thanks to Bob for answering many questions people might have about the upcoming Ninco World Cup.
DaveK

AutoArt July releases...tons of them

77992 1/18 PORSCHE 997 GT3 RS (GREEN W/ BLACK STRIPES)
80671 1/18 PORSCHE 911 (996) GT3 RSR 2006 ZOLDER 2006
80673 1/18 PORSCHE 911(996) GT3 RSR ALMS GT2 2006 FLYING LIZARD #45
75021 1/18 BMW 1600-2 (CHAMONIX WHITE)
75022 1/18 BMW 1600-2 (BRISTOLGRAY)
75151 1/18 BMW M5 1987 (DOLPHINGRAY METALLIC)
75152 1/18 BMW M5 1987 (ZINNOBER RED)
86715 1/18 TOYOTA 2000 GT 24 HRS FUJI 1967 #1
86716 1/18 TOYOTA 2000 GT 24 HRS FUJI 1967 #2
77305 1/18 NISSAN SKYLINE GT-R (R34) V-SPEC (MIDNIGHT PURPLE)
77351 1/18 NISSAN SKYLINE GTR R34 POLICE CAR (LIMITED EDITION OF 6000PCS WORLDWIDE)

55001 1/43 MINI COOPER 2006（SPARKLING SILVER METALLIC/WHITE ROOF)
55002 1/43 MINI COOPER 2006（LIGHTNING BLUE METALLIC/WHITE ROOF)
55006 1/43 MINI COOPER S 2006（CHILI RED/WHITE ROOF)
55007 1/43 MINI COOPER S 2006（PURE SILVER/BLACK ROOF)
50501 1/43 BMW 2002 TURBO 1973 (SILVER)
50502 1/43 BMW 2002 TURBO 1973 (BLACK)
50511 1/43 BMW 2002 tii L 1974 (BLACK METALLIC)
50512 1/43 BMW 2002 tii L 1974 (RED METALLIC)
50513 1/43 BMW 2002 tii L 1974 (FJORDBLUE METALLIC)
59701 1/43 VW GOLF V VARIANT(SILVER)
59702 1/43 VW GOLF V VARIANT(BLACK)

1:24 Slot Car

14121 1/24 PORSCHE 911(997) CARRERA S(RED)
14122 1/24 PORSCHE 911(997) CARRERA S (YELLOW)

1:32 Slot Car

13111 1/32 LAMBORGHINI MIURA SV (ORANGE) ---WITH LIGHTING LAMPS
13112 1/32 LAMBORGHINI MIURA SV (GOLD)--WITH LIGHTING LAMPS

73522 1/18 JAGUAR E-TYPE ROADSTER SERIES III V12 (GREEN)
73523 1/18 JAGUAR E-TYPE ROADSTER SERIES III V12 (RED)

Estimated product availability - Aug 2007

75161 1/18 BMW M535i (E28) 1985 (ALPINWHITE)
75162 1/18 BMW M535i (E28) 1985 (DIAMONDBLACK METALLIC)
80517 1/18 TOYOTA SUPRA SUPER GT 2005 LATE VERSION YUJI TACHIKAWA / TORANOSUKE TAKAGI ZENT CERUMO SUPRA #38
80516 1/18 TOYOTA SUPRA SUPER GT 2005 LATE VERSION JUICHI WAKISAKA / AKIRA IIDA ESSO ULTRAFLO SUPRA #6
86815 1/18 TOYOTA 2000 GT SCCA 1968 #23
86816 1/18 TOYOTA 2000 GT SCCA 1968 #33
76197 1/18 MERCEDES- BENZ 600 LWB PULLMAN (BLACK)
80540 1/18 MITSUBISHI LANCER WRC05 ROVANPERA #9 (RALLY OF MONTE CARLO)
80541 1/18 MITSUBISHI LANCER WRC05 PANIZZI #10 (RALLY OF MONTE CARLO)
80527 1/18 MITSUBISHI LANCER WRC05 PLAIN BODY VERSION (WHITE)
80528 1/18 MITSUBISHI LANCER WRC05 PLAIN BODY VERSION (BLACK)

50906 1/43 BUGATTI VEYRON 16.4 PRODUCTION CAR (BLACK/RED)
50907 1/43 BUGATTI VEYRON 16.4 (BLACK/BLUE)
50908 1/43 BUGATTI VEYRON 16.4 (PEARL/ICE BLUE)
60671 1/43 PORSCHE 911 (997) GT3 CUP CAR 2006 (GREEN LIVERY)
60672 1/43 PORSCHE 911 (997) GT3 PROMO CUP CAR 2006 ("DEUTSCHLAND" LIVERY)
60673 1/43 PORSCHE 911 (997) GT3 CUP CAR 2006 (ORANGE LIVERY)

1:24 Slot Car

14545 1/24 PORSCHE 997 GT3 CUP CAR PROMO 2006 ("DEUTSCHLAND" LIVERY) SLOT CAR
14536 1/24 PORSCHE 911(996) GT3 RSR 2005 PLAIN BODY VERSION (WHITE)
14537 1/24 PORSCHE 911 (996) GT3 RSR 2005 "ALEX JOB" #71

1:32 Slot Car

13750 1/32 SUBARU IMPREZA WRC 2006 SLOT CAR
13751 1/32 SUBARU IMPREZA WRC 2007 SLOT CAR

74572 1/18 LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO (METALLIC BLACK)(SPECIAL VERSION WITH CLEAR ENGINE BONNET)
74573 1/18 LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO (METALLIC ORANGE)(SPECIAL VERSION WITH CLEAR ENGINE BONNET)
78742 1/18 TOYOTA 2000 GT COUPE (WHITE)

DeFerran quits Honda

Official Statement from Honda Racing F1.com:
By mutual agreement with the Honda Racing F1 Team, Gil de Ferran will leave his role as Sporting Director to pursue other opportunities with immediate effect.

Nick Fry, Chief Executive Officer of the Honda Racing F1 Team, said: "I am disappointed that Gil is leaving our team. Since he joined us in 2005 we have enjoyed a very positive relationship. However, a Formula One team is rather like a jigsaw puzzle in that every piece has to fit precisely in its place. Gil has become increasingly uncomfortable in his role and feels the time has now come to seek fresh opportunities. We are very much hoping that Gil will choose to maintain close links with the Honda family."

Gil de Ferran commented: "I am obviously very disappointed to be leaving the Honda F1 team. I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for Honda, with whom I have been successfully associated for more than 10 years. Consequently, my decision to leave has not been an easy one. I simply feel that I came to this team to fulfil a particular role and it has not materialised as I had hoped. I would like to thank everyone at the team for the support I have been given and I wish them luck in the future."

Formula 1f1grand prixde Ferranf1 news

Spirit 936 update.

The projected arrival date is the first week of August for the 936. The versions Lemans 76’ (Gloss white with Martini stripes) + Nurburgring (Flat black with Martini stripes) delivered at the same time.

Thanks to Spirit for the photo and news.
DaveK

MotoGP at Indy

Indy to host MotoGP race...

Indyindianapolismotorsports

SCX BRM-newsletter

Formula 1f1grand prix

McLaren disappointed by FIA

Read more below about this F1 story...

And feel free to "mash" this news for your website!

Formula 1f1grand prix

New HO decals

Robert Everson has some interesting new HO decals, but these aren't for a livery...read below

Lexan Body Wheel Opening Cut Guide Decals

"Looking for a quick and efficient way to trim out the wheel openings on your lexan bodies? Here it is! Wheel opening stencil decals for lexan bodies. There's enough decals on this sheet to do 6 cars. These waterslide decals work excellent as a guide while trimming out the wheel openings of your lexan bodies. There's 4 different sizes to work with on this sheet as pictured below. There's 2 radius lines per decal, each being the size indicated on the sheet. You can lay your tire over the different sizes to determine which size works best for you. Even if you want a wheel opening shape that isn't perfectly round, these make a great refence to do what you want.

There's also a centering crosshair at the center of the radius to assist in placement. One use of the crosshair is to mark the length of your wheelbase with whatever works such as a permanant marker, then place the crosshair over your mark. You can get creative here!

Last, there's a slight curve above wheel opening stencil that can be used as a guide for the height of your wheel opening. You can refrence the curve to a straight or curved body line at the top crest of your body panel for more accurate placement."

Go to the website and check it out. The entire above text is from Rob's site.

Big $$$ wins races in Nascar...who knew?

Small teams having a tough time competing with the big money teams...read below.

BTW, you can take this news for your website by pushing the "MASH" button. All the news in these "MASH" boxes is meant to be spread around the web!!!

Nascar

New Scalextric Aston Martin

Thanks to Scalextric for the news.

New Scalextric Mustang

Indy Star...."Bugger off, Bernie" and F1!!!!!

Well this is one way to try to get the only interesting open wheel racing organization to stay in the US....Read the column here on the Indy Star's website....

And more "don't let the door hit you" commentary...

F1formula 1newsUS Grand Prix

New Carrera 911 RSR's and interview with Flying Lizard Motorsports

The first 2 Carrera RSR's are now shown on the Carrera site. They will be the Tafel Racing and the Flying Lizard Motorsports cars. Both are technically liveries from the first race of the year at Sebring.


My photo from Lime Rock ALMS race to refer to.


There are minor differences from these photos compared to photos of the real cars, since Sebring Tafel racing has made changes to the nose of the car. They've had a custom nose molded with 3 sets of dive planes, just below the headlights). The Flying Lizard team has made additional dive planes on the nose as well (one each under the headlights) but they've kept the stock nose that came from Porsche.

I talked extensively with a mechanic for the FLMS team, who said that the regulations set down by IMSA do not allow any modification to the fender flares to make them larger, or to change the contours in any way. And there cannot be any aero mods done to the body.

So the body shape must be this exact shape on EVERY model of a Porsche 911 (997) that runs in the ALMS series regardless of which team it is. So there is no wider, more flared out car to model to gain an advantage for your slot car . . . too bad, eh?

Also a few other things worth noting about these cars, not exactly related to slot cars but I found them interesting. The teams do NOT do ANY work on the engines . . . none! The engine is tuned, and if need be, replaced by Porsche. The team will do the removal of the engine but NOT any of the work repairing the engine if it needs a tune up or major overhaul. Also they really don't own the engines as such. Further, Ferrari teams don't own the engines at all! They're technically leased from Ferrari and returned to Ferrari after the season, or if they need to be replaced.

I've been told the slot cars will be shipped somewhere around September.


-------------

A little Q&A with the VP of Marketing (photo inset) for the Flying Lizard Motorsports team. I interviewed Jennifer Hart the morning of the American LeMans Series race at Lime Rock Park, in preparation for the announcement of these cars.

How do you look at slot cars? Do you look at them as collectibles, as toys?

My experience with them is that the demographic for sportscar racing, the younger demographic, usually have grown up with slot cars, they race them. It's not just a toy for them, they take them seriously. For us, from a marketing perspective, my objective is to get as many people out there aware of Flying Lizard as we can, and with the popularity of slot cars, having Flying Lizard represented is important.

Do you find that a lot of your fans know about slot cars?

"Oh, yeah absolutely, there seem to be two groups. The older, more mature group who grew up with slot cars, and the younger group . . . who take them very seriously."

On the topic of setting up a slot track last year during race weekends for a promotion:

"I was a little bit naive about our slot car knowledge, when we got a set and we thought we knew how to run it, but we didn't realize how complicated it was so had to get some fans to help us. They gave us a lot of tips on how to optimize the cars, the setup of the cars, which seemed to be as complicated as our race set up. So I'd say most people really do have a knowledge of the cars. What I really like about them is that they're very tactile, they're very visual, and when people see them they really want to race them. For the younger kids I think it's play. For the older kids I think it's serious."

On the topic of the US market:

"I really think there's an opportunity, just based one what I've seen, I think there's a marketing opportunity, especially for the smaller ones" (meaning a smaller scale slot car than 1/32).

Dave Kennedy
Slot Car News

Kimrey Enterprises & Avant Slot...and KEI parts, USA made!

The cat was already let out of the bag, prematurely I might add... but...Kimrey Enterprises will be the US distributor for Avant Slot. The first major order came in sold out quickly, another order is on the way soon. The cars will be the #50103 1st place winner and #50104 3rd place winner in the '06 LeMans. Cal will carry the entire line of parts and chassis replacement pieces as well.

And....

KEI (Kimrey Enterprises) parts including pinions, wheels in several designs, aluminum & steel axles, and more... all made in the USA!!!! They're in production now and will soon be available!

FIA investigates McLaren-"breach of sporting code"

This just keeps getting worse for McLaren....FIA will investigate possible "breach of sporting code."

f1Formula 1ferrariMcLaren

Scalextric Track Extension packs

The Intimidator by SCX

Well if this doesn't get all the Nascar guys out there "going" I don't know what will.


Thanks to Guido at SCXslotspot.de for the photos!

Ferrari Spy case...details of theft will be provided.

Ferrarif1formula one

Fewer days on the front

To speed up download time on the site, I've changed the number of days from the last 7 days to only the last 4 days. Let me know if this speeds up download time, I'm hoping it does.

DaveK

Need scenery? Consider diecasts...choppers!

Vespa's? We don't need no stinkin' Vespa's! How about a manly chopper?!?!

I found these 1:31 scale (yes that's right) at BigLots of all places the other day.
How about a view from the saddle?

These have to be the best buy I've found yet for diecasts, and they're really well detailed and well assembled. All the parts fit well and there's on a bit over over spray on the gas tank of the black bike.

As you can see they're made by Boley and sold as Monster Choppers, and for only $1.59 you can't go wrong. There were 5 different styles I think, these were the 2 least strange looking. All were basically the same design with different colored bits on the body.

Even detail molded into the tread of the tire! Nice!

DaveK

SCX Offroad Extension Pack-newsletter

Fines for Indy Racing League's Kanaan and Hornish

F1 Spy case hearing today.

f1formula 1mclarenferrarigrand prix

AUTOArt 1/32 Mustangs-review

AUTOArt is making it easy these days to write about their cars...apparently nothing stays the same from release to release so there's plenty to write about.

I've spent a lot of time recently extolling the virtues of the wonderful paint jobs on the recent cars from AUTOArt, these cars are no different. Nice thick, deep white paint and a sort of dark mustard yellow/orange on the other.

Stub axles, that's right stub axles on the front of the Mustangs...but wait, these are no ordinary stub axles. They're metal! Yes AUTOArt has given us the first (at least I think it is) metal stub axles in an RTR slot car. They spin very, very smoothly and, well if you're going to buy a car with stub axles you'd want them to be this nicely done.

The wheels on these cars do have quite a bit of flash around the edges where the halves of the wheels come together (under the tires). Out of the box the tires aren't quite seated on the tires. And it is possible to get the tires aligned but to get everything smoothed out nicely requires at least trimming the flash from underneath each of the car's tires.

I flipped the white "05" over and much to my shock found a front motored car. A slot car with not one bar magnet but 2, one on each side of the crown gear. So, screw driver in hand, I opened up the car, hoping to find a black stripe motor inside...nope. These cars have the red stripe motor, which if you remember, is the motor with light braking characteristics.
So onto the Carrera layout the "Bay Bridge" (photo inset). I ran the Mustang for 100 laps on the track with an average lap time of about 3.0 seconds, and a best time of 2.8 seconds. I decided to see what recent AutoArt releases would do when compared to this car. The Bugatti Veyron did a 3.3 lap, the Porsche Carrera 911 (996) and the 911 (997) Carrera S both did around 3.2 fastest lap. Even with much better weaker brakes the Mustang felt faster than did most of the cars and lap times backed this up.
The AutoArt Mustang in the foreground, the Carrera behind
So compared with the Carrera Mustang for magnetic application:

1. Overall the AutoArt car is maybe a bit better detailed (notably the front grille detail is better I think) but not as good braking as the Carrera. A tie on these points.

2. Both are reasonably priced. A tie again.

3. I'd think that the Carrera car would be a bit better for non-magnet racing due to the mid-body mounted magnet. Advantage Carrera (but at this early stage I'll admit this guess might be completely incorrect...testing will be done on this car for its non-mag possibilities).

4. The AutoArt comes with extra guides, the Carrera with extra brushes only...a tie I guess.

5. I've tried for some time now to get the Carrera car to work well in a non-mag setting (with its inline rear motor), the AutoArt is front motored...hmmmmm...advantage Carrera (for no mag slotters out there).

I restored the Carrera to its stock rear axle/wheels/gears and gave it a good run on the plastitrack...

6. Fastest lap time for the Carrera of 3.2 seconds with both stock magnets (which were never removed for non mag racing). The Carrera car does NOT accelerate as quickly nor does it sound as smooth and is not as quiet as the AutoArt...advantage AutoArt, a big advantage for the magnet racers out there!

7. The AutoArt's guide lead is longer. The track of the rear wheels on the AutoArt is 58mm, the Carrera's is 56.5, not much difference, but it's certainly wider when you put the cars side-by-side. Advantage AutoArt.

8. Another point and it's something hard to put measurements on, at least for me, is the Carrera has always felt a bit too high down the center line of the car. The AutoArt is noticeably flatter down the center, the overall effect is a lower and wider feel to the AutoArt...advantage AutoArt.

So..... in this very informal and completely unscientific match up...the AutoArt's are the winner(s).

Thanks to AutoArt/Global Gateway for these cars for review!
DaveK
Slot Car News

Target scores a bullseye! (thanks to BWA for the headline)

Well I didn't get to break this news but WHO CARES! SCX is selling cars on the Target website! Check it out, 44 matches for SCX products! (enough slammers for you? ok how about one more...!)

F1 Spy helped McLaren win?

f1formula 1mclarenferrarigrand prix

What is it like to watch the ALMS at Lime Rock?

The Corvettes sound like bass drums, like radial aircraft engines from WWII. You want them to win, just because they sound so good. The Ferraris scream, and the Porsches sound like ripping cloth. The lone Panoz, struggling in GT2, sounds like, well it sounds like it is struggling.

Lime Rock is a tight, twisty course with close clearances. Every year the spaces around the track are a little more manicured, a little wider here and there, but it remains true to its original layout. Lime Rock is a New England track, and that is all there is to it. This is no soul-less F1 plant.

It is woven among small wooded hills in former farmland. Clear running streams define the two main straights. The drivers may feel cramped, and may fight the track and the traffic (even a field of 20 cars loads the track to capacity), but it makes for good spectating. The chicane at the top of the rise, just after a full brake uphill corner, is a great place to watch the cars catch air. As the cars clip the curb, lap after lap, the red plastic markers are broken off and scattered down the track. The drivers cut the corner even closer, catching even more air. As the cars pass over, they go whump as the tires hit the pavement.

The drivers may complain, but the spectators don't. Lime Rock is a beautiful track.

RL

Slot Classic Lancia CJ-28

We would like to show you our next model, the CJ-28 Lancia Aurelia B-20 from Le Mans 1951. If anybody is interested and hasn't made his reservation yet, please contact us as soon as possible, since most of the 500 units are already reserved. We would like to remind you that all our subscribed customers with reserved number have their unit granted, so it's not necessary that you confirm your order. The model will start its production in the next days and will be delivered along the next 3 following months. We will let you know as soon as your orders are ready.

Information and photos used from the Slot Classic website.

Porsche defeats Audi...and there was MUCH rejoicing!

The Porsche Spyder won beating the Audi... Maassen (on the left in the above photo) said during the post race interview, "The Audi is built strickly for LeMans...but here in the tracks in the US there are corners and our car really handles well, I love Lime Rock! The more corners the better."
Our car, if we went to LeMans, we would really suck."

Ryan Briscoe, co-driver of the #6:
"There were no team orders, obviously" (he said in response to a question that maybe implied there might have been). It was clear that taking new tires during the stop was a big advantage. After the stop, we were much quicker. I got a great run down the hill and Timo was held up by a GT2 car and I sailed down the straight. But there was a long way to go and you never know what's going to happen. It was a very safe pass and we needed it for the championship. It's Roger reacting to the situations and he does it so well."
Penske watches closely during the final laps.
The #6 passes the Acura to take 2nd place back, then that car went on to pass his teammate and win the race.

Stats on the winning Porsche Spyder:
174 laps completed.
Best lap time was 45.371 seconds during lap 141.
The margin of victory was 7.481 seconds with a total race duration of 2:45:16.615.
Roger Penske was clearly happy with the win.


Audi's day didn't go so well...

McNish (above) wasn't so complimentary about Lime Rock, saying that he'd "keep comments to himself" about the quality of Lime Rock and whether the series should hold races here. It was clear from everything that was said about the track really none of the drivers interviewed had anything positive to say about the conditions of the track, except the winning Porsche team.

The Audi did win the class, and when he was reminded of this during the postrace interview he let out a very sarcastic "woohooo..."

"Before we arrived here we knew we would struggle in an LMP1 car when you have such a good LMP2 competition. I was able to get a good jump but was really struggling to keep up with the two Porsches. I got caught when I tried to get around the Intersport car. He went down and I locked up the brakes and then tried to pass him again on the next lap and he did the same thing."


He commented about the track conditions...
"It's bumpy everywhere. That's the nature of the track. The circuit is extremely tight and narrow and it's hard to get around traffic."

And the competition?
"Porsche and Acura, and also Mazda, have been able to build a good car to the regulations. They are just quicker on the circuits in North America."


The Flying Lizard Motorsports team however won their class...Bergmeister from the interview room as well:
"That was the worst start we could have had in the race, having a puncture on the first lap of the race and losing two laps. I thought we were already done. Luckily we were able to run a good pace."
The Peterson Motorsports Ferrari spins out and is passed by the #44 Flying Lizard Porsche
"The yellows came at the right time and the Ferraris ended up taking each other out. The track seems to give us good luck. I won here last year in a new car for Porsche and ended up winning the championship. We need to do what we did all year: race hard and finish races. Hopefully we'll have more wins."


DaveK
Publisher, Slot Car News

Lime Rock ALMS field set.

And the Porsche RS Spyder #7 is on the pole with the teammate car in P2! Here it is during tech inspection.

I think the Porsche's will have the Audi's number on this track. It's not long enough for the Audi to really use all their power.

Lime Rock American LeMans Series-update 1

Sunrise on pit lane.

A link to the gallery is here...click! More photos will be added during the day today.

A little F1 news from Silverstone

A little eye candy courtesy of McLaren.com...copyright McLaren.com BTW...no reuse for any reason

Lime Rock American LeMans Series coverage!

Technical editor Robert Livingston and I will be attending the American LeMans Series race at Lime Rock Park Saturday. We plan to have stories and lots of photos of the day's events. We (or at least I) will be filing from the track during the day.

A schedule of the events for Saturday:
9:00 – 9:20 AM Porscheplatz Corral Parade Laps Presented by LP Watch
Group
9:45 – 10:15 AM Formula BMW USA Race #1 – 30 Minutes
10:30 – 11:00 AM IMSA Lites Race #1 – 30 Minutes
11:10 – 11:35 AM Warm Up – American Le Mans Series
11:35 – 12:35 PM Lunch Break
11:40 – 12:00 PM Acura Corral Parade Laps
12:00-PM American Le Mans Series Autograph Session
12:45 – 1:15 PM Formula BMW USA Race #2 – 30 Minutes
1:30 – 2:00 PM IMSA Lites Race #2 – 30 Minutes
1:45 – 2:15 PM Formula BMW Autograph Session at Town Fair Tire
2:15 – 3:05 PM American Le Mans Series Pre-Race Activities/Recon Laps
3:05 – 5:45 PM START - American Le Mans Race (Round 6)

JT's Ratrod Sprite - a work of slot fiction

To get into the right mood for this journey back in time, put on your Dickie's workshirt, slick back your hair and shake out a pack of Luckys...then click here!

Early summer, 1967. Essex, Massachusetts

25 miles north of Boston, behind a small lumberyard at the edge of the Essex tidal marshes, a local carpenter revs the engine of his modified Austin Healy Sprite, its raspy buzzing fading over the clam flats. Next to the car, an awkward trailer is wedged in up against the marsh grass. Hastily converted from a borrowed boat trailer with 2x10s and U-bolts, the trailer looks as rough as the revving Sprite. The carpenter steps back, his blue work shirt and red neckerchief also stained, and surveys his primered car and makeshift trailer. Neither is complete, but time has run out. The races begn this week.

"Man - its finally done. Or as done as its going to get if I I'm going to the race on time. Not the fanciest race car I ever saw, that's for sure. Heck, its probabaly the rattiest! Didn't even have time to paint it, bondo and patches and scratches in all their glory. Probably saved some weight though. That Lotus guy - Chapman - he'd be proud. I just hope this car doesn't fall apart right after the finish line - there's too many races to go!

Those numbers are athletic tape (hope no one at the firehouse over there misses the roll). I used some boat letters for the class "FP" but they didn't have enough at the marina, so I cut up the PENNZOIL decal that I got from Larry at the gas station last night to make the hood class letters! Coulda been straighter, but it was late and pretty dark. Well, if they don't let me run with the other "big" Sprites (Big?! 1295 cc, there's probably motorcycles with bigger engines) it'll be easy enough to modify. And that's probably where they'll put me, with the modifieds.

Sure its modified, what do they expect? It's not like I can walk into a dealer and say "Give me a racing this or a competition that." I've got to make the parts I need or make do. Hot rod spirit. SoCal Speed, Ol' Yaller, Mickey Thompson. So what if the wheels are a little bit big, and the cam's a bit hot? Too **** many rules. What's the point of racing if you can't make the car go fast?

Got rid of most of the trim, bumpers, windscreen, roof, interior. If you want em, they're right over there in the grass. Built a new gas tank. Flared the wheel wells - just a bit! Took out a headlight and made it an air scoop for the Solex. Made the tonneau cover out of some old sail canvas painted black. The chassis, is shall we say, tweaked, just like the motor. Gotta have good, light wheels. Dinged up the front one though, but banged it out. Dressiest part of this car, I even painted the rim red. Hot rod.

Well, I'm off. Beats hammering nails for the week. Wish me luck."

Woody



-------------------

The previous piece of slot car fiction was written by JT Previa as a back story for his entry into the Vintage Race Across America proxy race and was originally published here on Slot Car Illustrated.com.

slot car

British Grand Prix-video preview

Ferrarif1formula onegrand prixBritish Grand Prix

Button: Honda not competative?

Image copyright HondaRacingF1.com

f1formula oneformula-oneBritish Grand PrixJenson Button

New decals from Jim Heller

There are hundreds of decals that Jim Heller makes, here are a few samples:


And here's just the first of 8 pages of decals he makes:


If you'd like to find out more about these decals email Jim at:
jimheller@comcast.net

www.miniatureracing.com

McLaren's Hamilton focussing on race, not controversy.

Photo copyright McLaren.com

f1formula 1mclarenLewis Hamilton

AMT 2007 Best Slot Car Winner-SCX Aston DBR9

A press release from SCX.

SCX/Sloter collaboration

This is similar to Sloter's recent statement but I just got this from SCX so I thought I'd pass it along.

"SCX® and Sloter have signed an agreement under the first stage of which Sloter will be supplying SCX® the digital system technology in its new models. The first Digital car from Sloter will be the renowned Lola T280 of 1972, featuring the logo of the Banco Intercontinental Português.

In its second stage, this alliance will enable SCX® and Sloter to develop an extensive joint catalogue of cars which will include the models most eagerly awaited by slot racing enthusiasts.

Adapting Sloter cars to SCX® digital technology means developing a new chassis featuring the electronic chip and the mechanisms needed to make the lane changes that characterise the system. This will make new models available to slot racing enthusiasts for overtaking and “boxing in” their opponents at top speed.

The firm Sloter Minimodels was set up in 2005 by slot racing enthusiasts and trade professionals. As enthusiasts they began their career in the 60's by competing in and organising rallies and endurance races. They were also in charge of organising the national SCX® championships in Spain from 1986 to 1992. Professionally, the members of Sloter Minimodels boast experience built up in senior positions in the top slot racing firms.

In 2003, SCX® revolutionised the market with the launch of SCX® the digital system. This technology features an electronic chip which enables drivers to change lanes, with up to six cars competing at once on a single track and customising each car's driving style by setting the braking power and the amount of fuel available, with constant monitoring of information about the car. With SCX® the digital system strategy counts for as much as driving skill in getting to the top spot on the winner's podium."

New SCX Nascars-newsletter

Ferrari's spy?

Ferrarif1formula 1mclarennews

SCX Compact-motor/chassis photos

The above photo is another angle of the motor in the F1's. It's a slimline FF type Mabuchi can.


More photos from Guido at SCXslotspot.de to show of the internal workings of the Compact F1's.

slot carSCXtoyshobbies

Ferrari back on top? Raikkonen thinks so.

Ferrarif1formula oneauto racingformula 1news

SCX 1/43 will be sold at Target in the US

In an ideal world slot cars would be sold at a store around the corner. A store that you already probably shop at for clothes, toys, and maybe even food...well that time has come for the U.S.

SCX Tecnitoys and Target...yes Target have teamed up to bring slot cars to the masses. Beginning in August "SCX Compact" a 1/43 scale - all new line of slot cars - will be sold across the US at 2 price points. A Tuner set will be sold which will be a figure 8 for $49.99 and a much larger Formula 1 set with 28' of track will be sold for $99.99.

Target has expressed an interest in a 3 year program around selling sets and accessories. SCX has agreed to sell these in the mass market exclusively through Target. These sets will be of hobbyist quality but will be offered at this lower price with the intention to bring in a younger market than most slots are currently sold to. SCX will introduce the 1:43rd scale SCX Compact product to the hobby channel in 2008.

These sets are already produced, a total between 60,000-70,000 total sets have been made. Accessory packs, which will sell for $14.99, will include a 4-pack of straights and a 4-pack of curves (plans are also to have a pack of banked curves as well). Additional cars sold in 2-packs will be Nascars and a pack of Tuners, these will sell for $19.99.

Cars will clearly be a lower level of detail than the current 1/32 SCX cars we're all used to seeing, but I'm assured that the mechanical integrity of these cars will be high. The desire is that these sets will be a toy that's used and played with for some time and NOT a limited life present that is purchased for a low price but isn't meant to last long.

The sticking point for selling 1/32 slot cars in the US market at your local toy store has been the size of the set that can be sold for around $99.99. The companies that have tried to do this offered only a figure 8 and a pair of cars which doesn't hold anyone's attention very long.


"We believe that slot car racing should be as big as it was in the 60's and 70's", Charles Ehredt of Tecnitoys said during a recent phone call to the Slot Car News offices, and personally I think this move will bring slots back to the masses. "Our goal in working with Target was to expose modern consumers to slot car racing so our hobby grows once again.¨

An editorial note:
Rumors of the SCX 1/43 product surfaced at the end of last year. The bigger news is not so much the new product line as much as it is the manner of distribution. The holy grail of retail in the US is entree into the large retail store. Mom and Pop hobby shops are struggling at the moment, or are at least not in the consciousness of the culture. This move by SCX will allow slots to come out of the exclusive domain of the "people that know" about the hobby. Few people knew that the hobby even existed past the birthday party their kids went to once a year at the local "thingy" track. So hold onto your hats, Slotters, your hobby is about to get back into the mainstream...hopefully.

SCX 1/43 set photos

Some photos from Guido at SCX Slot Spot to show of the new SCX 1/43 product.






Thanks to Guido...he's the man!

Ferrarimichael schumacherfernando alonsoformula 1f1McLaren

Raikkonen wins French GP

And now the obligatory photo of Hamilton finishing on the podium....again!
The above photo used with permission from McLaren.com
Image used with permission HondaRacingF1.com

Ferrarif1formula oneauto racing

Racer 250LM

Ferrari 250LM - MECOM Racing Team - Sebring 12hrs 1965 - M.Donohue / W. Hansgen. Car is due to release in about next 1/2 weeks.

SCX Subaru newsletter

Blue Sloter Zytek photos

Thanks to Sloter for use of the photos.
DK